Shangri-La shootout suspect convicted for drug offences, sentenced to 8 years' jail

One of the suspects in the Shangri-La Hotel shootout that saw police gun down a driver who crashed through a security checkpoint has been charged with drug trafficking and sentenced to serve eight years in jail and receive three strokes of the cane.  31-year-old Mohamed Ismail was convicted of two counts of enhanced possession of drugs and one count of morphine consumption, Channel NewsAsia reports.  He was arrested along with fellow passenger Muhammad Syahid Mohamed Yasin on the wee hours of May 31, where car driver Mohammad Taufik Zahar ploughed through a checkpoint near Shangri-La hotel, where a high-profile security summit was taking place. The driver was shot dead by the police at scene and police uncovered a bag of drugs from the vehicle.  26-year-old Syahid's case will be heard on Wednesday. He was charged with three counts of drug possession and one count of abetting a rash act after it was revealed that he shouted at Taufik to drive on after police started questioning them at the security checkpoint.  Photo: SGforums